


Big Green, Little Green

by Peppermintfeather



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Found Family, Gen, Let Joe be the good dad that he is, Matchablossom if you squint, Sk8 family, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 08:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30086463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peppermintfeather/pseuds/Peppermintfeather
Summary: When Miya gets sick, there's only one person he wants to make him feel better: his loud, larger-than-life skate dad, Joe.
Relationships: Chinen Miya & Nanjo Kojiro | Joe, Chinen Miya & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom, Nanjo Kojiro | Joe & Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 11
Kudos: 157





	Big Green, Little Green

**Author's Note:**

> I'm watching SK8 with a friend and upon noticing Joe and Miya in the opening theme, he remarked "Big Green and Little Green." So I took it and ran with it.
> 
> Most of this was written the morning of Daylight Saving Time when my body woke me up at 3:45 a.m. and wouldn't let me go back to sleep, so I apologize if anyone is terribly out of character here.

Joe had been at work when he got the call.

“When do you close?” Cherry’s voice, crisp and calculating as always.

“Hi to you too, grumpy gills. In an hour, why, what’s up?”

Cherry looked down at the boy resting in his lap. “Miya is under the weather and is asking for you. For some inane reason unbeknownst to me.”

Joe frowned. That’s not what he wanted to hear. Poor kid. “I can close up early. Where are you?”

“My apartment.”

Joe felt the spare key in his pocket, beside his own on the keyring. “Be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. You don’t even have to unlock the door for me!”

“Giving you that key was a mistake.”

“Aw come now, we both know you don’t mean it.” He softened his tone. “So he’s sick? Poor thing. How’s he doing?”

Cherry heard a whimper from Miya. “About as good as you can imagine. Fever, chills, delirium.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. Keep him hydrated if he can hold liquids down. Even you know that much, with your horrible bedside manner.”

“Must you instruct me only to conclude with some petty insult?”

Joe huffed in amusement. “Hi pot, I’m kettle. Speaking of, I gotta go take care of this soup before it burns.”

 _“Why weren’t you paying attention to the food while talking, you imbecile?”_ is what Cherry wanted to say.

What he actually said was “Have a good shift. See you soon.”

/

Miya had never had an easy time sleeping on the best of days.

But here he was, lying with his head in Cherry’s lap, sniffling and shivering and whimpering for the man’s green-haired counterpart.

It was pathetic.

They – Langa, Reki, Cherry, and Miya – had been skating as a group in a nearby park when Miya started feeling dizzy. He disregarded this until he missed his footing on what should have been an easy turn, stumbled, and fell off of his skateboard face-first onto the ground.

Langa remarked that Miya looked a little pale. Miya tried to defend himself, saying he felt fine and he probably hadn’t been drinking enough water that day, that’s all. Skateboarding was becoming fun again, Miya realized, and the last thing he wanted was for the older skaters to be on his case about some measly little illness. Everyone had their off days, after all. Adults should know that.

Unfortunately, Langa saw through his façade, and it was decided (with Miya getting no say in the matter) that Miya needed a place to rest. Everyone relocated to Cherry’s apartment since that was the closest. Reki and Langa stayed for a little while before they had to retire to their own houses.

That left Miya here, resting against Cherry. No matter what he did or how many blankets Cherry offered him, he just couldn’t get comfortable. And it was nothing Cherry was doing wrong – Miya liked Cherry, citing that oftentimes he was the only other sensible one of their little group. Cherry took no nonsense from anyone and knew when to mind his business. Miya respected those qualities.

But to a sick Miya, that didn’t suffice. He wanted Joe. Joe’s laughter, and unsolicited stupid advice, and larger-than-life presence that made Miya feel like Joe could fight off even the biggest demons or peskiest of colds. Miya needed that presence right now. His warmth. His comfort.

/

Joe threw the apartment door open and jogged inside. “Let me see him.” He plopped down unceremoniously next to the others.

“It took you long enough. Miya, look. Kojiro is here.” Cherry carefully handed Miya over to Joe, settling the boy in Joe’s arms.

Miya gripped Joe’s shirt. In the moments since Cherry’s phone call, Miya had grown increasingly more delirious and pleading to see Joe. Wide, frantic eyes looked up at the man.

Joe ran his hands up and down Miya’s back in what he hoped were soothing circles. “Shh shh it’s ok. I’m here now.”

Miya tried to respond but his lip quivered. He tightened his grip on Joe’s shirt.

Joe cooed to him, soft words that Miya would have dismissed as nonsensical and brushed off under any other circumstances.

Miya could only cling to the man, darting his eyes around the room once or twice. He started feeling motion. Wait. Was he being rocked?

Sure enough, Joe was rocking him in his arms, nice and steady. “I’m here, buddy.” He was met with soft whimpering or the boy shifting slightly in his arms.

Finally, Miya managed a single word. “Joe.”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

“Want you.”

“You have me.” He gently pried Miya’s hand off of his shirt and on top of one of his own hands. “See, I’m here. You feel my hand?”

Miya ran his hand over Joe’s hand. It felt sturdy. It felt nice. “Yeah.”

“Atta boy. That’s it. Do you know where you are?”

“Cherry... Cherry’s apartment.”

“Good. That’s very good.” Joe patted Miya’s back.

The man was so dang patient! Stupid Joe. Stupid comforting, warm, sturdy Joe. His presence did a good job of grounding Miya. The boy’s whimpering settled down and his eyes didn’t look as frantic.

Joe brushed back Miya’s bangs. “What was all that about, hm?”

Miya weakly swatted Joe’s hand away.

Joe chuckled. “Now now, save your energy. You gotta rest if you want to feel better.”

“Don’t wanna rest. Sick of resting.”

“I know, bud. Being sick is so boring. But look at it this way: at least you’re not boring all the time. You could be like Cherry here and grow up to be a super boring adult.”

Cherry tsked. “Bold words coming from a moron.”

“Love you too, Kaoru.”

Miya weaseled out of Joe’s arms and lay back down with his head in Joe’s lap, mumbling something about it being too loud.

Joe leaned back and stretched, mindful of the boy in his lap. “You know, for someone who personally requested me, you don’t seem very grateful.”

Miya could only muster a small shove to Joe’s knee.

Joe did not react to the gesture, electing to tease the boy. “What’s the matter anyway? Growing pains?”

“Bug off.” Miya hated how weak his voice came out. Did it sound that weak to the adults?

Joe hummed. “See, your words lose meaning when you can barely keep your eyes open. It ain’t much of a threat.”

“My head hurts.”

“I bet.” Joe placed a palm over Miya’s forehead. “That’s a temperature if I’ve ever seen one.”

Miya groaned. “I bet it was those stupid kids from school.”

“Don’t worry about where you got it. You just focus on resting, k? Just focus on you.”

Miya was about to say something when he started shivering. Hard. His entire body shook and his teeth chattered.

Joe quickly but carefully pulled Miya into his arms once more. “Shh. I’ve got you.”

“It hurts.”

“I know, honey. You’re doing so good. Breathe with me, ok? Nice big deep breaths. There ya go.”

They stayed like that for who knows how long. Miya didn’t care, quite frankly. If Joe wanted to use this temporary weakness, this momentary lapse in the hardened persona the boy had built up as blackmail for something… well, that was a problem for tomorrow’s Miya. Today’s Miya, this moment’s Miya, needed Joe right here to do the comforting.

Miya would sob, or groan, or whimper. In return, Joe would simply hold him closer, wrap his arms around him a little tighter, coo those gentle words and run those rigid hands through Miya’s hair or up and down his back.

“Make it go away.”

“I would if I could. You just gotta let it run its course. You’re doing great.”

Joe waited until the shivering fit subsided.

It did the trick for making Miya feel tired. Not the ideal way for the kid to be coaxed into sleep, Joe thought to himself, but he’d take it. At least Miya looked a little calmer now, less panicked.

“Do you think you can try to sleep now, buddy?”

Miya rubbed a few stray tears from under his eyes. “Yeah.”

Joe helped Miya lie back down in his lap, resuming his resting position. He pulled a blanket over Miya, tucking the corners so that the boy was snug, when he heard the small voice again.

“Stay?”

Joe took Miya’s hand. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here. I’ve got you. You’re alright.”

Miya closed his eyes, only to reopen them a few seconds later. “Joe?”

“Yeah, little man?”

“… Thanks.” Miya closed his eyes once more and drifted off to sleep.

Joe pressed a gentle kiss to the boy’s forehead, noting how warm it still felt. “Don’t mention it. It’s what I’m here for.”

And it really did feel like a family. Being in his oldest acquaintance’s apartment, taking care of the next generation of athletes in the sport they love.

A soft voice beside him.

“Carla… play a lullaby.”

/

Reki had recently dubbed them “Big Green” and “Little Green.”

Joe’s hair and Miya’s eyes (not to mention the cat hoodie he often wore) were green. So it only made sense.

And the alias truly fit Joe, if you asked Cherry. In more than just the obvious broad structure of his body. Everything Joe did, he did in a big way, Cherry had quickly learned. How he talked, how he flirted, how he skated… how he cared for others.

Cherry made this point known. “You truly embody ‘Big Green.’”

“A badge I wear with pride!” Joe pointed a thumb to his chest proudly. “You’re not so bad yourself. I almost take back what I said about you having horrible bedside manner!”

Cherry raised a brow. “Almost?”

Joe grinned. “Yep! No one likes an underachiever. You should know that much.” He gave a gentle smile to Cherry, then at the sleeping boy in his lap, then back to Cherry.

Miya would recover, he and Kaoru would invent new insults for each other, they would all continue skating together and further hone their skills.

For the immediate future, Big Green would take care of Little Green for as long as it takes.

“Now we just need to find a pink-haired skater kid to take under our wing to make you Big Pink and Little Pink!”

“Don’t push your luck. You’re enough to deal with.” Cherry glanced at the boy who was hopefully having kind dreams, before gazing back to the man holding him.

And it was indeed more than enough.


End file.
